Throttle valve



May 28, 1935.

F. J. SMITH 2,002,965v

THROTTLE VALVE Filed Feb. 15, 1935 ATTORNEY Patented May '28, 1935 -vPATENT oFElcE THBOTTLE VALVE Frank J. smith, Kansas city, Mo., assignerso Standard Oil Company, Chicago, Ill., a cor poration of IndianaApplication February 13, 1933, Serial No. 656,451

8Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in throttle valves and moreparticularly to throttle valves of the sliding gate type.

Heretofore the use of throttle valves of-the gate type in iluid flowlines wherein fluids containing relatively hard matter in suspension arepassed through the valve at high velocities has v resulted in theerosion of the valve body shell at the low preure side of the gate. Thiserosion of the valve body is largely due to the diversion of portions ofthe iluid stream against the inner side walls of the valve body as thefluid passes under the gate and against the vertical shoulders providedas a guide for the gate and against which the gate bears when closed.

An object of nry invention is to provide `a throttle valve whereinerosion of the body shell, as described, is reduced to a Another objectis to provide a throttle valve of the gate type wherein turbulence ofthe uid stream on the low pressure side of the gate is materiallyreduced.

A further object is to provide a throttle valve of the gate type whereinerosion of the opposed surfaces of the gate and gate seat through theso-called wire drawing effect of the high velocity stream is minimized.

A still further object is to provide a gate type throttle valve whereinthe valve opening is rectangular in cross section, thereby permitting anopening of the shortest possible width as well as reducing the boundaryof the valve opening linearly.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent afterreading the follow ing description and claims and after consideration ofthe drawing, irr which:

Fig. l is a vertical sectional view of a gate type throttle valveconstructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of another form of the valve, partsthereof being` broken away;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view.along the line I-I of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 of another form of the valve;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view along the line B-B of Fig. 5;

Fig. 'I is a fragmentary sectional view of a further form of the valve;and

Fig. 8 is a sectional view along the lines 8-8 of Figures 2 and 6.

In general, the throttle valve selected for illustration comprises abody shell A, rectangular in cross section at its mid-portion, a bonnetB,

-a rising stem gate C, a yoke D supported upon the'bonnet and a handwheel E for elevating the valve gate C.

With reference to Figs. l, 2 and 8, the valve body or shell A isprovided with flanges 2 at its outer ends for connecting standard pipesections thereto. The cross section of the body A at its outer ends iscircular as indicated at 3 gradually merging with the rectangular crosssection at the mid-point of the body. The bottom wall and two side wallsof the body A are formed with inwardly projecting convex cylindricalsurfaces 4 and 5, the surface l on the lower or bottom wall comprisingaseat for the gate C. Vertical grooves 6 extending longitudinally of thesurfaces 5 provide a slide-way and guide for the gate C. 'I'he lowerwall or edge 'l of the gate C is cylindrical and generated uponsubstantially the same radius as the cylindrical seat I of the valve,thereby providing a iluid opening when the valve gate is elevated havingthe'characteristics of a venturi.

A valve stem I I may be formed integrally with the gate C and providedwith external screw threads I2 at its outer end engageable with athreaded bushing I 3 secured to the hand wheel E. The bushing I3 may bexed against axial movement upon the yoke D but free to rotate relativethereto. A packing member Il may -be employed for establishing aduid-tight seal between the bonnet B and valve stem Il.

It is intended that a throttle valve constructed as described shall beused in series with a shutoff valve since no provision is made forestablishing a duid-tight seal between the gate and the gate engagingportions of the valve body. As may be seen the contacting portions 'l ofthe valve gate C and its seat l lie on a straight line in a planeparallel with the axis of the valve body and therefore the throttlingcharacteristics of the valve are maintained substantially uniform fromthe slightest elevation of the gate from its seat l to its full elevatedand open position, an advantage which is not to be found in the ordinarytype of gate valve wherein both the lower edge of the gate and its seatare curved upon like radii in a plane transverse to the axis of thevalve body.

In use, uid passing from the high pressure to the low pressure side ofthe valve through the gate opening by virtue of the uniformly curvedconvex cylindrical walls thereof is parcinity ofthe low pressure side ofthe gate, a condition which is not true in gate valves of the ordinarytype wherein it is customary to employ shoulders on the inner walls ofthe body shell to guide the valve gate and to form a seal between thegate and the body shell. These shoulders are found in gate valves ofordinary construction and by virtue of their disposition in a planeperpendicular to the direction of ow cause the uid passing through thegate opening to be diverted and to impinge upon the inner side walls ofthe body shell in the immediate vicinity of the gate, particularly uponthe upper body wall. If the fluid passing through the valve containssolid matter in suspension such as coke, where the valve is employed ina tar drag line, the particles of coke by virtue of the velocity of theuid stream and of the diverted portion thereof will cause rapid andserious erosion of the metal walls of the valve shell. In my improvedvalve there is no tendency to so divert the fluid stream but instead theventuri-like walls of the revtangular gate opening by virtue of theirconvex and cylindrical contour tend to avoid turbulence and to encourageaxial flow of the uid through the low pressure side of the valve bodyinto the pipe sections connected thereto.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have illustrated another form of the valve whereinconvex and cylindrical surfaces IS similar to the valve seat 4 areformed on both inner side walls of\the valve body shell A to provide aconvex guideway for the valve gate C. In this embodiment of the valvethe gate C is formed with concave cylindrical grooves I1 in its oppositeside walls within which the guides I6 extend, thereby to locate theyalve gate against lateral movement. The advantage of this form of thevalve over that illustrated -in Figs. 1 and 2 is that the grooves B areomitted and the possibility of turbulence in -the uid stream which mightoccur under higher differential pressures is thereby eliminated. Inother respects the valve functions in a similar manner to that describedin connection with Fig. l.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated another form of the valve wherein theconvex and cylindrical surfaces on the inner side walls of the bodyshell are entirely eliminated. The valve gate C is held against lateralmovement along the axis of the body A by grooves I8 formed in the sidewalls of the valve body beyond the conflnes of its normal rectangularcross section as best illustrated in Fig. 6. The advantage attributed tothis form of valve over those heretofore described resides largely inthe simplicity of construction, particularly in the formation of thebody casting and of the finishing thereof. In operation the valvefunctions in the same manner as that described in connection with theforegoing figures.

In Fig. 'l I have shown a further form of the valve in which guide meansfor the valve gate C are located exteriorly and above the uid conductingportion of the body A in that region of the body casting between thebonnet B and the major portion of the body casting. In this form of thevalve the inner side wall of the body shell is entirely free of eithergrooves or protruding cylindrical surfaces except for the valve seat 4which cooperates with the lower surface 'I of the valve gate to form aventuri-like gate opening during the ow of uid through the valve asdescribed. The horizontal cross-sectional contour of that portion of thevalve shell A upon which the bonnet B is mounted closely follows thecross-sectional contour of the valve gate C so that the valve is heldagainst movement other than along an axis transverse to the axis of thebody shell. The lateral edges of the valve gate may contact with theflat inner side walls of the rectangular mid-section of the body A. Itwill be noted that this valve may be used only as a throttle valve andnot as a shut olf valve.

It should be understood that the described embodiments of the inventionherein set forth are presented for the purpose of illustration only andthat various changes may be made therein without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A throttle valve comprising, a body shell having a rectangular crosssection, and a valve gate adapted for movement transversely of the axisof said shell, said shell being formed with a convex and cylindricalseat for said gate protruding within said rectangular cross-sectionalportion of said shell, the contacting and lower end of said gate beingconvex and cylindrical and lying parallel with said seat throughout theentire range of movement of said gate.

2. A throttle valve comprising, a body shell, and a valve gate adaptedfor movement transversely ofthe axis of the shell, said shell beingformed with an integral convex and cylindrical seat for said gate, saidgate and said seat cooperating to form a laterally elongated venturiopening when the gate is elevated.

3. A throttle valve, of the gate type, including a sliding valve gateand a seat for said gate, said gate and seat each being formed withopposed convex and cylindrical portions.

4. A throttle valve comprising, a tubular uid conducting body shellhaving at least its mid-portion rectangular in cross section, convex andcylindrical guide members formed onthe opposed and inner sidewalls ofsaid shell mid-portion, and a valve gate operatively engaged with saidguide members and adapted to be moved transversely to the axis of saidshell.

5. A throttle valve, of the sliding gate type, comprising, a body shellhaving convex cylindrical guide portions on its opposed and inner sidewalls, a valve gate slidably mounted transversely of the axis of said.body shell and formed with concave cylindrical side wall portionsadapted to receive said convex and cylindrical guide portions of saidshell, said body shell and said gate being further formed with opposedintegral convex and cylindrical contacting surfaces providing aventuri-like valve gate opening.

6. A throttle valve comprising, a body shell having at least themld-portion thereof rectangular in cross section, convex and cylindricalguide members formed on the opposed and inner aide walls of said shellmid-portion, and a valve gate operatively engaged with said guidemembers and adapted to be moved transversely to the axis of said shell,said shell being formed with a convex cylindrical valve gate seat, saidgate being formed with a convex and cylindrical seat contacting portion.

7. A throttle valve of the gate type comprising, a body shell, said bodyshell being rectangular in cross section in at least its mid-portion, avalve gate adapted for movement transversely of the mid-portion of saidbody shell, a valve gate seat formed on the inner wall of said bodyshell adapted to be engaged by said valve gate to provide contactbetween the valve gate and the seat along a line above and parallel tothe adjacent bottom surface wall of said body sneu.

8. A throttle valve comprising, a fluid conducting tubular body, saidbody shell being rectangular in cross-section, at its mid-section, andcircular in cross-section at its opposite end portions, said rectangularportion being of greater cross-sectional area than said end portions, aValve gate y mounted for movement transversely across said rectangularmid-section, and a valve seat formed

